A jackknifed tanker truck on Interstate 78 near Route 309 caused havoc on two roadways Friday morning — one of many crashes that created regionwide congestion on frozen roadways.

The freezing rain and 5 to 10 inches of snow that fell Thursday created traffic problemsFriday morning as numerous fender-benders were reported throughout the Lehigh Valley leading up to and during rush hour.

About 9 a.m., a tanker truck jackknifed across westbound I-78 in South Whitehall Township and struck a concrete barrier on the overpass above Route 222 — also known as Hamilton Boulevard. The cab of the tanker rolled up a snowbank along the barrier and came to rest perched above the bypass below.

The impact knocked over a light pole, which fell from the overpass onto a ramp from eastbound Route 222 onto I-78. The ramp was closed as firefighters and a crane-bearing, heavy tow truck maneuvered the truck cab free.

State police said there were no injuries in that crash.

Also at 9 a.m., an Easton man and his passenger were injured when their car collided with a tractor-trailer on westbound Tilghman Street, near Blue Barn Road in Upper Macungie Township.

Travel was treacherous Friday, after a storm dumped more than a half-foot of snow on the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas.

Travel was treacherous Friday, after a storm dumped more than a half-foot of snow on the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas.

Christian Lindeman, 23, the car driver, suffered a minor injury to his shoulder, township police said. Lindeman rear-ended the tractor-trailer when he could not stop the car on the ice-covered road at the Blue Barn intersection, police said.

Cetronia Ambulance took Lindeman and his passenger to a hospital. The tractor-trailer left the scene without stopping to check with Lindeman, police said.

There were minor crashes in Hellertown, Easton, Stockertown and East Allen, Bethlehem, Upper Saucon, Lower Saucon and Forks townships and elsewhere. Dispatchers for the Allentown Public Works Department radioed drivers just after 6 a.m. to put chains on the tires of several trucks. And into Friday afternoon police in several townships reported watery, slushy and in some cases, still icy roadways.

Crews were called Friday to a jackknifed tanker truck on Interstate 78 in South Whitehall Township that included a fuel spill. The cab of the truck got stuck on the Route 222 overpass. (Courtesy Patrick Scardaccione)

PennDOT crews salted the roadways during the storm Thursday, but temperatures plunged down into the low single-digits overnight.

While the weekend may bring warmer temperatures, meteorologists were calling for another plunge Friday night with an overnight high in the single digits. Brown said drivers need to be aware that any leftover water or slush on the road will refreeze. And windblown snow can dump drifts back across the roads, Brown said.

Crews would be on call overnight to handle problems he said. And PennDOT remains stocked with enough salt for a few more storms. Brown said there's suppliers are prepared to deliver more if needed.